HDAC9 and stroke disorder: The antiepileptic drug (AED) sodium valproate (SVA) is a nonspecific inhibitor of HDAC9 activity7 and has been shown to attenuate atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E–deficient mice.8 A large Danish study suggested that although epilepsy was associated with an increased risk of incident stroke, the extent of this effect varied with the type of AED that was prescribed.